Supply-holder



A ril 17, 1934. E. R. SWANSON SUPPLY HOLDER Filed Jan. 30, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1934. E. R. swANsoN SUPPLY HOLDER Filed Jan.30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SUPPLY-HOLDER Application January 11 Claims.

This invention relates to supply-holders for holding cops, bobbins andother forms of packages of yarn, thread and the like to deliver thematerial to winding machines or other textile ap- 5 paratus.

In the following specification and claims the term bobbin is to beinterpreted generically as applying to any preferred form ofsupply-package, and the term yarn is employed in a broad sense todesignate all varieties of strand material.

One object of the invention is to provide a supply-holder which may beoperated more conveniently and expeditiously to doff a spent bobbin andapply a fresh one to delivering position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the typespecified wherefrom the spent or exhausted bobbin is automaticallydoffed by the act of applying a fresh bobbin to position.

Another object of the invention isto provide a device of the typespecified whereon the bobbin may be placed in delivering position by asimple movement of the hand requiring minimum effort on the part of theoperator, and whereby the spent bobbin is simultaneously doffed so as toeconomize in the time required for performing both operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the typespecified from which the spent bobbin or yarn-carrier is doffed in suchmanner as to cast it into a suitable receptacle or bobbinbox.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the followingspecification which describes a preferred embodiment of the invention,by way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a conventional type of winding machine in endelevation and illustrating the present improved supply-holder as appliedto use therewith; V

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the supply,- holder in its relationto the tension-device of the winding machine and illustrating the mannerin which a bobbin is placed on the spindle of the holder and caused toeffect the ejection or dofiing of the spent bobbin; and I Fig. 3 is adetailed plan view of the supplyholder.

In the present era of high speed operation of winding machines and othertextile apparatus due consideration must begiven to the manualoperations necessary to supply the machine with yarn, thread or thelike; and the time required for doffing spent bobbins and applying freshones in place thereof must be reduced to the minimum 1930, Serial No.424,683

in order to shorten the intervals of unproductiveness of the machine.For this purpose the present invention consists in general of asupply-holder provided with two or more supply spindles on whichbobbins, cops or other yarn packages may be held to successively deliverthe material to the winding or other machine, and having means embodiedtherein to effect the dofling of the spent bobbin when a fresh bobbin isplaced in position thereon.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, 2 designates one of the legs orstandards supporting a winding machine of gang or multiple unit type,and 3 indicates the bed or frame on which the winding units are mounted.As herein shown the winding mechanism comprises a drum ordriveroll 5 anda rotatable cop-holder or yarn-receiver 6 which is held in surfacecontact with the driveroll to cause it to be driven therefrom. Thecopholder' 6 is carried at the end of a swinging arm, indicatedgenerally at '7, which is pivoted at 8 to an upright 9 on the machineframe. As the drive-roll or drum 5 rotates the package to Wind the yarnthereon the growth in diameter of the mass causes the cop-holder'fi torise away from the drum as it swings on the pivoted arm '7. In thepresent drawings a reciprocating threadguide 10 is illustrated asproviding means for traversing the yarn longitudinally of the copholder6, the guide sliding on tracks or ways 11 and 12 and carrying a rolleror bowl 13 which engages a helical groove 14 in a rotating cam 15. Theconstruction of the winding mechanism as above described is well knownto those versed in the present art and is therefore not hereinillustrated in detail.

It is usual in winding machines to apply tension to the yarn as it feedsto the cop or package being wound, and in Fig. 1 there is shown atension-device of the disk type. The tension-device is mounted on abracket 17 bolted to the front of the frame of the winding machine at 18and having a horizontal shelf or rest 19, from which rises a verticalspindle 20. A pair of tensiondisks 21 are arranged in oppositerelationship on the spindle 20 with a weight-holder 22 thereabovecarrying a suitable number of weights 23, the holder being adapted toslide on the spindle to apply pressure to maintain the tension-disksbearing against the strand of yarn drawing therebetween. In the form ofconstruction herein illustrated the weight-holder 22 bears against aspring 24 to cause the latter to act yieldingly against the uppertension-disk to press it down against the lower disk. The strand of yarn3 iqo leads up through an opening or guide-eye 26 at one side of theshelf 19 and draws across the top of the shelf to lead between the twotensiondisks 21. From the tension-device the strand y draws through asuitable slub-catcher 2'7, as usually provided, and thence leads up tothe threadguide 10 to be fed therefrom and traversed on the cop orpackage being wound.

In winding yarn and other strand material from cops, bobbins or similartypes of headless yarn-packages the strand is generally drawn off overthe end of the package and the supplies are usually arranged below thewinding units with their axes in line with the point to which the yarndelivers to feed through the tensiondevice. In the present embodimentof'the invention the supply-holder is supported on a horizontal rod 28which may extend the whole length of the machine to provide a mountingfor a' plurality of the devices, one for each winding unit. Thelongitudinal rod 28 may be mounted at the ends of brackets or arms 29which project from the sides of the legs 2 carrying the winding machineframe. As shown in Fig. 1, the bracket 29 is attached to the web of theleg 2 by means of a clamp 30 held in place by a bolt 31, thisarrangement being in accordance with the usual custom.

The present improved supply-holder is of extremely simple design andconstruction, comprising as it does practically only two elements.Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, on the rod 28 is mounted atwo-armed bracket or support 35, secured fixedly in place by a set-screw36 extending radially through its central hub 38. The bore of the hub 38is preferably formed with flatted sides 39 whereby the set-screw 36 willhave a binding action to prevent the bracket from turning on the rod 28.At the extremities of the arms 40 of the bracket 35 are hubs 41 bored toreceive spindles 42 and 43. The spindles 42 and 43 are secured fixedlyin place in the hubs 41 by means of set-screws 44 and 45 and are adaptedin size to the bore of the bobbin-tubes or other yarn-receivers whichform the central cores or supports of the bobbins B. For example, in thepresent drawings the spindles 42 and 43 are shown as adapted forinsertion into the bores of fiber or wooden bobbin-tubes b. The spindles42 and 43 are set at an angle or inclined toward each other with theiraxes intersecting at the point to which the yarn delivers. In thepresent showing the bracket or support 35 is located in such positionand adjusted about the rod 28 to bring the spindles 42 and 43 in linewith the point 4 where the yarn is guided at the tension-device; or, inother words, the axes of the spindles intersect at this point. It willthus be seen that a bobbin may be placed on either spindle 42 or 43 andthe strand y drawn ofi over its end to lead directly to the point whereit delivers to the tension-device.

Projecting upwardly from the hub 38 of the bracket 35 are two spacedears 46, see Fig. 3, between which is pivoted a rockable lever 47. Thelever 47 has bosses 48 on its sides bored to receive a pin 50 driventhrough the two opposite holes in the ears 46. The opposite extremitiesof the lever 47 are forked at 51 with the sides of the forks straddlingthe spindles 42 and 43,

the openings of the forks being of sufficient Width to adapt them toswing down across the tapered ends of the hubs 41in which the spindlesare held. The forkedends of the lever 4'7 are inclined upwardly androunded on their upper sides to provide convex faces which are adaptedto be engaged by the ends of the cop-tubes or wooden bobbins b as thelatter are pushed down on the spindles 42 and 43. The location of thelever 4'7 is such that when a bobbin is placed on one of the spindles itwill rock the end of the lever with which it engages downwardly to swingthe other end of the lever upwardly along the opposite spindle in themanner as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The method of operationof the complete device is as follows:

To prepare the machine for winding a bobbin or other supply package,represented at B in Fig. l, is placed on either of the supply-spindles42 or 43. Assuming that the bobbin B is placed on the forward spindle42, as the base end of the bobbin-tube or yarn-receiver b is slid downon the spindle it engages against the forked end of the lever 47 androcks the latter to tilt its opposite end upwardly as before explained.The strand of yarn y is drawn off from the bobbin B, carried up throughthe guide-eye 26, thence led between the tension-disks 21, through theslob-catcher 27 and threaded through the threadguide 10. The end of thestrand is fastened to the cop-holder 6 and the latter placed in contactwith the drive-roll 5 whereby it will be rotated to wind the yarnthereon to build the cop, cone or package which constitutes the productof the machine. When the yarn in the bobbin B or other form of supply isexhausted the operation of the machine is arrested, and usuallyautomatic stopping-means are provided for this purpose, such means beingcommon to practically all types of winding machines and therefore notherein illustrated.

When the operator observes that any one of the winding units has ceasedto operate through failure of the yarn-supply a fresh-bobbin is providedand placed in delivering position in the manner as next explained. Afterthe yarn is exhausted from the first bobbin B, shown in Fig. l, theoperator takes a fresh bobbin and simply places it on the oppositespindle 43. As the bobbin is pushed down onto the spindle 43, in the ineither case, whether the fresh bobbin is placed 1 on the forward spindle42 or the rearward spindle 43. That is to say, the spent bobbin will beejected simultaneously with the placing of a fresh bobbin on the nakedspindle and in this way no time is lost in doffing the empty bobbin, sothat the operation of resupplying the machine is greatly facilitated andexpedited.

A suitable bobbin-box 52 may be provided at the front of the machinebeneath the row of supply-holders, Fig. 1 illustrating the box assupported from horizontal brackets 53 projecting from the legs 2. Inmost cases a plurality of such boxes are employed for the sake ofconvenience in removing them with their contents and, as herein shown,the boxes rest on a pair of parallel rails 55 extending horizontally ofthe machine and supported by clamps 56 carried on Law When the spentbobbins b are ejected from the supply-holder they drop down into thebobbinboxes 52 and as the latter are filled they may be removed andemptied by the bobbin-boy or other attendant.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the present improved deviceis of the utmost simplicity in construction, with only two main elementsand a single operating part. The means for doffing the spent bobbinscomprises a rockable element which is operated automatically Without theemployment of springs, weights or other energizing means and, therefore,the whole device is proof against deterioration in use, derangement orgetting out of order.

While the invention is herein described and illustrated as embodied in apreferred form of construction and applied to a certain type of machine,various modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement ofthe parts of the device and in its method of application withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in theappended claims. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, Iclaim:

1. In a supply-holder, the combination of means for supporting aplurality of supplies of strand material, and a movable element adaptedto be operated by the placing of one supply on the holder to ejectanother spent supply therefrom.

2. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a plurality ofspindles for holding bobbins, and a rockable member adapted to beengaged by a bobbin as it is placed on one of the spindles to rock saidmember to eject a spent supply from another spindle.

3. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a plurality ofspindles arranged with their axes inclined toward a point to which theyarn is to be delivered, and a lever pivoted between the spindles withits ends in position to be engaged by a bobbin placed on any one of thespindles to cause its opposite end to be moved to eject a spent bobbinfrom an opposite spindle.

4. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a plurality ofspindles, and a lever rockable on an axis intermediate said spindles andhaving forked ends straddling said spindles whereby when a bobbin isplaced on one spindle it will engage one of the forked ends of the leverto rock the latter to cause its opposite forked end to force the spentbobbin off from the opposite spindle.

5. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a bracket,spindles supported on said bracket, and a lever pivoted on said bracketwith its extremities extending across the spindles to adapt one end ofthe lever to be engaged by a bobbin placed on one spindle to cause itsopposite end to be rocked to eject a spent bobbin from another spindle.

6. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a brackethaving opposite arms, spindles mounted at the ends of said arms, and alever pivoted on an axis substantially equidistant between the spindlesand formed with forked ends straddling the spindles, said lever adaptedto be engaged by a bobbin placed on one of the spindles to cause itsopposite end to be rocked to remove a spent bobbin from the otherspindle.

7. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a brackethaving a hub with arms extending therefrom in opposite directions andspaced ears projecting thereabove, spindles supported at the ends of thearms, and a lever pivoted between the ears on the hub and projecting 100outwardly to extend across the opposite spindles to adapt it to beengaged by a bobbin placed on one of the spindles to operate said leverto remove a spent bobbin from the other spindle.

8. In a supply-holder, the combination of a 105 plurality of spindlesfor supporting bobbins or the like, and means movable under the impactof a bobbin placed upon one spindle to eject a spent bobbin from anotherspindle.

9. In a supply-holder, the combination of a 110 plurality of spindlesfor supporting bobbins or the like, and means adapted to be struck by abobbin as the latter is placed on one spindle to move said means toeject a spent bobbin from another spindle.

10. In a supply-holder, the combination of a plurality of spindles forholding bobbins and the like, and means movable longitudinally of thespindles and adapted to be engaged by a bobbin placed on one spindle toactuate said means to 120 eject a bobbin from another spindle.

11. In combination, a plurality of stationary spindles for supportingbobbins or the like and means actuated by placing a bobbin on onespindle to eject a bobbin from another spindle.

ERNEST R. SWANSON.

